This Appears to Be "Lost" Audio of Chris Farley as Shrek

In one of those weird internet phenomena, a long lost tape of Chris Farley voicing Shrek has made its way into the sharing chamber. The reason this is strange is not that it exists at all, but that it’s existed virtually untouched since Farley’s death in 1997, and since the animated film’s release in 2001. Weirdly, this clip has been sitting there in plain view on a Vimeo page, purportedly uploaded by a Dreamworks producer, for two years.

In 2004, Jim Hill wrote the backstory on how Shrek would have been a different film if it were made, as intended, with Farley, as opposed to with Mike Myers (highest recommendation to read the whole thing):

There were apparently talks to try to put the movie together with what Farley had already done, but the team felt that filling in the blanks with a sound-a-like would have disrespected his legacy. According to Hill, other actors who were considered for the role of Shrek included Tom Cruise, Nicholas Cage, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

In any event, it’s great to hear Chris Farley’s voice again on something new, he remains sorely missed, and it is fascinating to imagine what Shrek would have been like if he’d been able to finish the project.